The series Orphen came about when author Yoshinobu Akita with Yuuya Kusaka as illustrator created a series of light novels called “Majutsushi Orphen Haguretabi.” It consists of 20 novels which were first published by Fujimi Shobo under their Fujimi Fantasia Bunko label in the Monthly Dragon Magazine between 1994–2003, and was the basis for the first anime and manga series.

Two years after the beginning of the main novel series, Yoshinobu Akita created a second series called “Majutsushi Orphen Mubouhen,” which is a collection of side-stories that depicted more light-hearted and comedic adventures that took place during Orphen’s journey. The novel series spanned 13 volumes between 1996–2003, which were published the same way as the first series.

As of late 2012, T.O Entertainment have released a brand new series of the Majutsushi Orphen Haguretabi novels. Orphen is now older and is married to Cleao, both of whom give birth to three daughters that become Sorcerers. Majic is a Sorcerer lecturer at the new school that Orphen runs. Orphen is known as the “Demon King” due to his exploits in the original novels. The books are published in a standard version and also a special edition version which comes with a behind the scenes booklet about the book and a Drama CD which is based on the new novel series itself. The original Orphen novel series received a reprint as well.

The Slayers vs. Orphen novel was a special collaborative novel between Yoshinobu Akita and Hajime Kanzaka and was published in 2005. It was later reprinted in 2013.

During their panel at Anime Expo 2018, J-Novel Club announced that they have licensed the light novels.

Main characters

Orphen

is known for his arrogance, gruff demeanor, short temper, and near-obsessive drive to finish what he is working on as soon as possible without distraction. He also strives to remain stoic and detached from others save his closest friends and allies. However, he has a strong sense of humanity and even though he will complain, he will not abandon a person in need nor tolerate the slaughter of innocent. He is partly an anti-hero throughout the entire series. In the anime, the only time his attitude changes is when the subject of Azalie is brought up. He will do anything for Azalie, as they have quite a history together, but Orphen keeps his feelings and the story about Azalie to himself at first, only opening up later in the series. However, in the novels, he opens up about Azalie fairly quickly. He and Azalie were brought to the school together because it was believed that they possessed a strong amount of magical power within them. This proved correct; Orphen was a magic prodigy. Orphen eventually becomes the greatest sorcerer in the world. His true name is Krylancelo Finrandi, and the sorcerers from the Tower of Fang (Hartia, Azalie, Leticia, Childman, and Flameheart) still refer to him like that. In the novels, Orphen is characterized slightly differently, being more rough, profane and seemingly unstable than his anime portrayal. He suffers from increasing megalomania and what seems to be a type of dissociative identity disorder in which he sometimes thinks of Krylancelo and Orphen as different people. However, through the company of his apprentice, Majic and the heiress Cleao Everlasting, he steadily becomes more at peace with himself and learns to accept who he is. In the novels, he gains the dark magic of a Deep Dragon and the power of Swedenborg(a Demon God), though this can tax on his sanity when he utilizes it for too long. By the end of the original novella series, Orphen is living in relative obscurity on the outskirts of the continent with his wife, Cleao Everlasting and their daughters, Ratsbane, Edge and Ratchet. By the age of 40, he becomes the head founder of his own magic academy known the Swedenborg School of Sorcery.

Cleao Everlasting

is the main female protagonist that joins Orphen on his journey. In the first anime, she carries the Sword of Baltanders, which was entrusted to her by her father on her fifteenth birthday, and lets Orphen hold onto it as long as he does not object to her tagging along. Cleao also carries in her backpack a Deep Dragon wolf-cub named Leki. She and Orphen constantly quarrel, but she does so to hide her growing affection for him and secretly longs for him from afar. She and Orphen eventually marry at the end of the original novels and have three daughters. She trains with a long sword and quickly becomes proficient with it as she journeys with Orphen and Majic, even able to duel on even grounds with other highly skilled swordsmen. It is later discovered that Cleao has magical potential, which is unlocked due to Leki merging his mind with hers and she eventually seeks training from Leticia to develop her latent abilities, which she completed in a year’s time. She also learns how to handle a gun.

Majic Lin

is Orphen’s apprentice, and the second male lead. He is a childhood friend of Cleao’s, but in the manga they are not close friends since she’s three years older than he is, and she also spent a long time at boarding school. In the anime, they were in the same grade in school, but she has since moved on to boarding school. Majic deals with the torment from both Cleao and Orphen on their journey together to save Azalie. His father is paying Orphen to teach him, which at first seems a waste of money to his father. When Orphen repairs a glass that fell with his magic before the father’s eyes, the father’s opinion about his money being “thrown out the window” disappears. Majic appears to be a good student, learning as much as he can, and retaining all of what he learns, although his anxiety tends to get the better of him when it comes time to prove himself. Orphen, however, sees significant potential in Majic and encourages him in his training. This gives him courage, which makes his power stronger. Majic looks up to Orphen, and refers to him as “master” upon Orphen’s request. All sorcerers call their “teachers”, who teach them sorcery, “master.” By the end of the novels, Majic has become a famous, world-renowned sorcerer and even takes on Ratsbane, Orphen and Cleao’s firstborn child, as his apprentice.